Article assembling apparatus



I July-16, 1 946. E. siRP 2,404,197

' ARTICLE ASSEMBL'ING APPARATUS Filed June 17, 1943 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 I VENT E. SIRP ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS July 16, 1946.

5 Sheets-Sheet? Filed June 17, 1943 INVENTOR. 7 Sl/PP il/ z. 4- 4 ATTOR/Vf) July 16,1946. E. SlRP ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed June 17, 1945 5 Sheeis-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. f. 6/3,

ATTORMEY July 16, 1946. I E. SlRP. 2,404,197

' ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS v v Filed June 17, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

E. SIRP 8X45? ATTOR/Vf) July16,1946,. SIR 2 404397 I ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS 7 Filed Jun e 17, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

f. S/RP YIATTORMS'Y Patented July 16, 1946 ARTICLE AS SEMBLING APPARATUS Emil Sirp, Downers Grove, IlL, assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 17, 1943, Serial No. 491,129

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to article assembling apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for assembling the plate elements of vacuum tubes.

In some vacuum tubes, a tubular plate element having three equally spaced webs is formed from molybdenum. It has proven desirable to form these plate elements in three parts, each of the parts including an arcuate portion of the wall of the tubular plate element and two flanges extending outwardly radially at the end of the arc portion whereby the complete element may be assembled by attaching the flanges or webs together, preferably by staking the flanges.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple apparatus for expeditiously assembling the parts of a vacuum tube plate.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a slidable fixture is provided,,which is adapted to be slid across the bed of a punch press into position under the ram of the press. The fixture has mounted on it an annular oscillatable cam plate, carrying a cam roller for actuation by the punch press and having grooves therein for simultaneously driving three sets of staking tools and three sets of crimping tools which'are slid able to work upon the extending webs or flanges of a three-part plate assembly whereby all of the staking operations are performedon the downstroke of the punch press and all of the crimping operations are performed on the upstroke of the ram of the press.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. '1 is a plan view of the bed of a punch press with a portion of the cam roller actuating member mounted on the ram shown in section and with the slidable plate shown in its inoperative position prior to being slid under the ram of the press;

Fig. 2 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1 except that it shows the slidable plate in position under the ram of the press and shows the oscillatable cam plate carried by the slidable plate in its operated position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig.2 in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of. Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan sectional view on an enlarged scale taken through the center of the apparatus, as shown in plan in Fig. 2, showing the staking tools in their operative position;

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' Fig. 6 is a still further enlarged view of a fragment of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5 and show- ,ing the contour of the staking tool in detail;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detailed viewjshowing the crimping tool in its operative position and a portion of the staking tool in its retracted inoperative position; 7 If ,7

Fig. 8 is an end View of the point of the staking tool; 7 v v,

Figs. 9 and 10 are fragmentary-sectional views taken substantially along the line 9- 9 oi 2 in the direction of the arrows, showinga' trip lock for the slidable plate in its operativefand inoperative positions, respectively; f

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the vacuum tubejplate assembly which is formed in the. apparatus; and

Fig. 12 is a side elevational'view of the structure shown in planin" Figsll. r

Referring to' the drawings wherein like reference characters designate the same parts throughout the several VieWaparticuIar'reference being first had to Figs. 11 and 12, wherein the article assembled in the apparatus is shown in detail it will be seen th at the vacuumtube plate assembly i5 is comprised ofthree parts 11, I8 and IS. The parts each include azsegment of a tube and outwardly extending ribsor ilanges, the part l9 having flanges 20 and 2|, the part l8 having flanges-22 and 23 and the part II having flanges 24 and :25. The flanges 2|, 22, 23 and 24 all comprise fiatextensions formed integrally with the parts ll, 18 and [9, whereas the flanges 20 and 25 have ridges 26 and 21, respectively, formed therein. When the plate assembly is staked together, as shown at 2'8, 29 and '30, the ridges 26 and 2l cooperate to form a passage in which a mounting post may be suitably secured.

The plate assembly It may be assembled and the various parts thereof attached together by staking them in the apparatus shown in plan view in Fig. 1,, wherein a slidable plate 40 is shown mounted on a bed plate 4| suitably mounted on the upper surface of a bed 42' of a punch press. The slidable plate 40 extends under guide rails 43 and 44 suitably attached'to the bed plate 4l and provided with stops 4-5 and 46 for "limiting the movement of the slidableplate 4ll.toward the front of the machine. The slidable plate 40 is provided with a pair of handles 41 and 48 whereby the plate may be manipulated to move it from the position shown in Fig; 1 to the' posi- .tion shown in Fig. 2 and vice versa. V

Suitably attached to the up-persurface oi. the sudab e p a e 40 are a s ies oisegmentalplat retainer blocksi59i', 60,151 andfiz.

. r 3 r 49, 50, 5|, 52, 53, 54, 55, 55 and 51, around which there extends an annular oscillatable cam plate 58. The cam plate 58 is held down around the segmental plates 49 and 5! by a series of retainer end of it a cam roller 55 for engagement witha 3 camslot 55, which is, in turn,forznried ,ina cam I plateiiI, attached to a headplate 58 The head plate 68 is, in turn, suitably mounted 'on 'a ram 69 constituting apart of the punch press mechanism which may be of any suitable construction. i I The block 54 oscillates between the edgesjI) and" II of a cut-out formed in a cover plate I2, which is attached tothe upperjsurface of the segmental 1 p ates 49 t 51', aIil( 1 is "liOtChed" to :receive the 'When'fthe' block t l is oscillated due to theen- 1 'g'ag'e'inentffoi ,the cam roller 55 with thejca'm slot 96,5, jthreecam slots "I3-,1"'Hl'and-75' formed in the 1 'canf plate158wi1l serveto actuatethree sets of I staking pins designated as 16, 17 and 18, respec- "tiv'ely. Thefc'am slots "'l'3; "-'l l and 'I5 "have cam rollers 19,85 and BI {extendinginto them for -ac-- 'tuating cam slides 82, '8'3'and- 84, respectively, on i which theistaking pins-t5, 'I I and l3',"r espective- 1y, are fixed; The cam 'slides82,-83-, and 84 ride the pa'ssag'eways formed by the segmental 1 plates 53, and54 50 and' 5'I'gand 55 and 51', re-,

fsDecti'Velyj to engage the series of staking ins I6, l j'I'I'and 13;; withthe filanges 2I and -Z'Z 25 and 25 i 2 and 23 and 24, 'respectively,which are heldin osition betweenthesegmentalplates 55 and 5B, 53 1and'52, andflil and 55'." It should be noted that 1 the-innerends of the segmental plates '49 and 55,

52:3,nd: 53 and 55 and 55 are-rounded slightly to receive the parts of the 'vacuumtube plate assem i 'bl yi andthat thesesegmental; plates are spaced apart slightly to permit theparts of the vacuum tube plate assembly to be inserted between them when the'slidable plate'dllis-in the position shown in Fig. L'a centralaperture ill] being provided for v i this purpose in' the cover plateIZ.

In addition tothe cam slots 73,14 and 15, the

cam plate 58 has three camslots SI, 92 and 93 formed in'it in which'ride cam rollers-94, 95 and 96, respectively. The cam rollers 94, 95 and 96 j are mountedadjacent the end of cam slides 91,

98'and 99, all of the same construction, and carrying'crimping tools I50, I5I and I112. The

crimping tools are all of the same construction and have a guide projection I53 surrounded by an annular shoulder I04, which cooperate to define the operating face I05 of the tools. It should I be noted at thistime that the annular oscillatory 0 cam plate 58 normally rests in the position shown g in Fig. 1; In other words, the timing of the punch press is so arranged that the press will stop with that is, once at the veryend of the cycle of the '1 press'and'once just before the end of the cycle of the press, In this manner, the parts of the tube element'inserted in the apparatus when the slidable plate 4B1isin'the position shown in Fig. 1 will, not be contacted by the crimping tools until they 4 V have been staked byflthe staking tools. The method of staking and the crimping toolsper se are described in detatil and claimed in the copending application of E. Sirp, Serial No. 491,128, filed June 17, 1943.

In addition to carrying the cam plate 57, the head plate 68 of the punch press carries a pair of guidesleeves I31II]'I, which cooperate with guide pins I53I 58 extending upwardly from the slidable plate 45, thus to insure the proper alignment of the ram'of the punch press and the mechanisms mounted on the slidable plate 45.

'Fixed to the underside of the head plate 68 is a release pin' I55, which, as seen most clearly in Figs. 2, 9 and 10 is adapted to engage a latch member I II] at the bottom of the stroke of the punch press. The latch member H5 is seated in a tapered aperture III formed in a bracket H2 and is normally urged upwardly by a compression spring II3 to the position shown in Fig. 9. The compression springI I3; is seated in a pocket H5 7 and engages the latch member I I5 eccentrically so 'that'when the release pin I I39 pushes the latch member I Ill downward'lyagainst the action of the spring I I3, the latch member I Ifiwill tilt and will catch underthe shoulder I I5'of a bracket 1 I6 mounted on the rear-end of the sliolable plate 45.

The bracket IIB, as'seen' most clearlyin Fig. 12,

has a cam surface I I I formed'on' it, which, when the plate 35 is slid to the position 'shown in :Fig. 2, will engage the latch member I Ill andmam it aside to permit it to engage a surface H8 ofthe shoulder H5, thus to locate the slidable plate 45 in its rearmost position until--the 'release pin I59 engages the latch memberI-It and trips the latch member IiIl to the'position-shown-in Fig. 10. The features of this triplock mechanism are described and claimed inthe co-pendingapplication ofF. -\17g.4'3-Vorreyer, Serial No; 'i9'1,1'27, filed June '17,

A tubular sleeve I35 is; fixed in the head plate 68 by means of a set screw I31, 'Ihe upper end of the tubular sleeve I33 is threaded, as shown at I32, to receive a plug I33, which serves to compressa spring I35against a head I 3.5 formed on a-locating pin I35; The locating-pin"I35'has an annular shoulder I3'l'forined' o'n it adjacent its lower end for engaging th upper surface ofithe.

parts Il, I3 and I5 of thevacuum tube plate assembly I6 to clamp them against a knockout pin I38, which extends through the slidable plate 45 and has a head I 39 which rests on the'upp r surface of the slidable plate M1 to serve as a base on which the parts I'I, I8 and I9 will rest when they are placed in position to be worked upon. Extending downwardly from the main body'of the locating pin I36 is a rounded projection I40, which will be pushed'into the center of the assembled parts 'II, I8 and. I3 to properly set them against the ends of the segmental plates 49, '55, 52 and 53, 55 and 55 when the ram of the press is moved downwardly. After a staking and crim ing operation has been'completedby the apparatus and the slidable plate 45 has been slid back to the position shown in Fig. '1, the knockout pin I38 will'be directly above an actuator rod MI, which is freely slidable in alig ed apertures I42 and'I43 therre. c n et nd s nd e i f he apparatus may be had by reference to thefollowi'ng brief description of the mode of operation thereof. The three parts I'I, I8 and I9 of the vacuum tube plate assembly may be placed in the position shown in Fig. 1, where the slidable plate 40 is in its position at the front of the bed plate 4I. After the parts I'I, I8 and I9 have been placed in position between the segmental plates 49, 50, 52, 53, 55 and 56, the operator may grasp the handles 41 and 48 and push the slidable plate 40 and all of the parts carried thereby back to the position shown in Fig. 2. As the slidable plate 40 approaches the end of its travel toward the rear of the machine, the cam surface II1 will strike the latch member III! and will rockit slightly in a clockwise direction, compressing the spring I I4 slightly. As the slidable plate 40 reaches the end of its movement toward the rear of the machine, the latch member IIO will snapback to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 9, thus to lock the slidable plate against movement toward the front of the apparatus until after the ram of the press drives the release pin I09 against the latch member IIO to shift it to the position shown in Fig. 10. With the slidable plate 40 locked in the position shown in Fig. 2, the guide pins I08 will be in direct vertical alignment with the guide sleeves I0! and the cycle of the punch press may be started. It should be noted at this time that the timing of the punch press is so arranged that its cycle stops with the ram of the press moved down slightly from its uppermost position. In other words, the cycle of the press stops with the cam roller 05 in the position shown in Fig. 1 and with the cam plate 61 in the position shown in Fi 1.

After the plate 40 has thus been positioned beneath the ram of the punch press, the press may be operated to go through its complete cycle. When the plate 40 reached its rearmost position, the cam roller 65 was nested in the cam slot 56. Thereafter, as soon as the cycle of the punch press is started, the oscillatable cam plate 58 will move in a counter-clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2. In moving from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the cam plate 58 will, due to the interaction of the cam slots 13, I4 and I5 and their associated cam rollers I9, 80 and III, drive the cam slides 82, 83 and 84 to the position shown in Fig. 2. In moving to the position shown in Fig. 2, the cam slides 82, 83 and 84 will drive the staking tools I6, 11 and 18 through the abutting flanges formed on the parts II, I8 and I9. The effect of this action is illustrated in Fig. 6, where the staking tool 11 is in its farthermost operative position and wherein it has pierced the plates 25 and 20 and partially formed clinching webs, as shown at I45. As the punch press continues its cycle of operation, the cam plate 01 will move upwardly to shift the cam plate 58 in a clockwise direction until the cam slots 9|, 92 and 93 cause the cam slides 91, 98 and 99, respectively, to move inward and clinch or crimp the webs I45, as shown in Fig, '7, the operating face I05 of the crimping tools I00, IM and I02 serving to perform this function. The cycle of the punch press will, however, continue until the cam plate 58 rocks back to the position shownin Fig. 1 and, accordingly, the crimping tools I00, IN and I02 will be pushed against the webs I45 a second time by the bumping projection I00 provided near the end of the cam slots 9!, 92 and 93. As soon as the punch press completes its cycle of operation, the latch member I I0 having been tripped by the releasing pin I09 at the bottom of the stroke of the punch press ram, the slidable plate may be slid to the front of the press by means of handles 41 and 48 and the actuator pin I43 may be operated manually to drive the knockout pin I38 upwardly. In moving downwardly, the punch press ram' carried the locating pin I36 with it and the shoulder I31 on the locating pin serves to properly seat the parts I1, I8 and I9 on the head I39 of the knockout pin I38. v I

What is claimed is:

1. In an article assembling apparatus, means for supporting a plurality of article parts in position to be assembled, a cam plate encircling said supporting means and having a plurality of camming surfaces formed in it, a plurality of sets of opposed, coaxially reciprocatable assembling tools slidable in said supporting means and operable upon opposite sides of abutting article part in said supporting means, cam means slidable in said supporting means and engaging said camming surfaces for actuation thereby, and means for oscillating said cam plate in opposite directions to separately actuate opposed tools, one tool of each set being operable on the parts ineach direction of oscillation of the cam plate.

2. An article assembling apparatus comprising a support for parts of an article, a piercing tool mounted for reciprocation in said support and operable to pierce two abutting parts held in said support for displacing the material of said parts, a clinching tool in alignment with said piercing tool and mounted for reciprocation in said support to clinch the material of the abutting parts displaced by the piercing tool, an annular cam plate surrounding said support and oscillatable for alternately actuating the piercing and. clinchmg tools, said cam plate in one direction of oscillation being operable to actuate the piercing tool and in the other direction being operable to actuate the clinching tool, and means to oscillate the cam plate.

3. An article assembling apparatus comprising a support for parts of an article, piercing and clinching tools mounted for reciprocation in said support, an annular cam plate surrounding said support and oscillatablefor actuating the tools, and means to oscillate the cam plate, said cam plate having cams formed therein for actuating the piercing tools when the plate oscillates in one direction and other cams for actuating the clinching tools when the plate oscillates in both direcions.

4. The combination of a punch press having a reciprocatory ram and a bed with an assembling means to be operated by the press comprising a support for parts of an article, piercing and clinching tools mounted for reciprocation in said support, an annular cam plate surrounding said support and oscillatable for actuating the tools, means connecting the cam plate and press ram to transmit motion from the ram to oscillate the cam plate, said cam plate having cams formed therein for actuating the piercing tools when the plate oscillates in one direction and other cams for actuating the clinching tools when the plate oscillates in both directions, and means on said ram for positioning parts to be operated on by said tools.

5. In an article assembling apparatus, a reciprocatory ram, a plate positionable beneath said ram, means for guiding the plate to position beneath the ram, means for positioning blanks to be assembled on said plate, cooperating tools reciprocably mounted in said positioning means,

' an annular tool actuating cam surrounding said V p i ningsmeans and Operable to successively actuate said tools, and means on theram. for

actuating vcam, andacam roller mounted on said tool actuating cam and engageable' with the means on the ram when the-plate-is positioned beneath the ram. r 3 L -7;-In an article assembling apparatus, a reciprocatory ram-{a plate positionable beneath said ram, means for guiding the plate' to position bec a neath the ram, means for positioning blanks to be assembled on said plate, tools reciprocablyr mounted in said positioning means, an annular tool actuating cam surrounding said positioning means and vformed to actuate the tools in succession, and means on the ram for actuating [said tool actuating cam, said tools being operable in automatic succession by the'camfin response to the means on the ram' travellingliniboth directionsof its reciprocation by the ram. r

I r EMILSIRP. 

